Brasil 08 Part IV

  Someone who has a degree in Roman numerals, please correct me if IV is not #4, I would like to apologize! 

  Yes, I'd like to take just a bit today to share about my involvement with Thirst Relief!!  What a sweet organization, located right here in central Ohio (Westerville.)

  We had the opportunity to deliver 3 filters in a village on the other side of Maparacaia.  Such an awesome village with a sweet look over the river.  One day earlier, some of us joined a volleyball game with some of the Brazilian teens.  

  Anyway, as you can see in the pictures, the filters stand about 4ft tall, completely made of concrete.  We load all three into our canoe, along with four grown men!  The filters weigh nearly #280 lbs. each, so the water nearly flows over the edge of our handy boat as we journey to shore.  We set up and install 2 of the filters, the other we leave to be placed in a home that will soon be built.  

  The filters simply contain, washed gravel and sand...  That's it!  And they can obtain 95% purity from the filtered river water.  Not only do the filters protect the health of our Brazilian friends and their children, but they also provide an opportunity to bless them, and begin a relationship with the villages.

  I personally came to know the importance of healthy water.  At one of the homes-they kindly offered us coffee after we had set up their filter.  We knew that the coffee was made with the river water, but hoped that the water was boiled hot enough to kill the 'baddies.'  Um....it must not have been quite warm enough, because my stomach got hit.  And it remained slightly out of whack until I was well back home in Newark.  But-no regrets, and yes-it was good coffee.

-zh